Most diets will fail, experts say. This is what really works

If you’ve ever gone on a diet to regain your lost weight quickly after completing it, you’re not alone – research shows that the vast majority of diets are doomed to failure.

Drastic shifts in your eating habits can work and help you slim down quickly, but any changes will likely be temporary, dietitians tell the Star. Sometimes dieters gain even more weight than they lost.

Here’s what you need to know about these so-called “yo-yo diets” and what experts say will work when it comes to weight loss.

Fad diets work, but only in the short term

While so-called fad diets are “very trendy, they’re mostly a short-term solution,” said Nadine Khoury, a registered dietitian at Toronto’s NAD Nutrition.

“You lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time — and when the body doesn’t have enough time to adjust to a lower weight threshold, it wants to go back to the way it’s been the longest.”

Khoury repeats the “set point theoryof metabolism – that we all have a certain weight threshold that if we pass too quickly our body will try to push us back. While it is “obviously true” we need to reduce our calorie intake to lose weight, but overdoing it can backfire.

“The worst thing you can do is eat too little or restrict yourself too much in terms of calories,” she said.

As such, “it’s very, very important that a diet works, to lose weight slowly,” Khoury continued. “Most of these diets help you lose weight quickly, which is motivating…But unfortunately you gain all the weight back because the body hasn’t had time to adjust to that lower weight threshold.”

Diets work for about half a year before your body rebels

Diets tend to work for about six months before the body’s regulatory systems kick in, said Paula Brauer, a former dietitian and emeritus professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph.

“Your resting basal metabolic rate, which is two-thirds of the calories you need each day, goes down — and so you’re more calorie-efficient,” she said. At the same time “your appetite begins to increase. So the taste and smell of food becomes more appealing as your body works to get back to that set point.

That’s why studies show that the “vast majority” of people regain most of their lost pounds months later, with about 10 percent of dieters actually gaining more weight than they lost, Brauer continued.

What’s worse, studies show that a person’s set point gets higher and higher the more they diet, said Lyndsay Hall, a registered dietitian at JM Nutrition of Toronto. “So it’s going to be even harder to lose and maintain the weight next time,” she continued.

How can we lose weight in the long run?

“The main way to lose weight and keep it off definitely has to be slow or gradual progression,” Hall said, echoing Khoury. That way, our bodies have time to get used to a lower weight set point, leading to long-term changes.

“In general, it’s usually reasonable to lose a pound or two a week, depending on a person’s age, exercise level, BMI or starting weight, things like that,” she said, suggesting that people see a doctor or a dietitian to determine the pace that works. for their body.

This means making gradual changes to your daily habits instead of “doing all the 180 degrees as you’re used to,” Hall continued. She asks her clients to focus on one or two goals a week to work towards, such as eating smaller portions or more vegetables.

Khoury sees weight gain as a “symptom” of other health problems. “The body gains weight for multiple reasons,” she said. “It doesn’t always have to do with how much you eat. It often has to do with things like stress, lack of sleep, lack of activity, your inability to digest or absorb certain foods.”

Intermittent fasting, Mediterranean diets hold promise

Khoury recommends consulting an expert about what foods may or may not work for you — there’s no “one size fits all,” she said, which is often a problem with fad diets that can adhere to strict regimens. That said, some of her clients practice intermittent fasting, “which has good evidence,” Khoury continued.

Hall agrees, adding that, in terms of generic diets, the Mediterranean diet is one of the most promising because it doesn’t involve “complete restriction,” but rather recommends a balanced supply of healthy foods.

For her part, Brauer noted that there is no perfect weight loss solution and that we have no control over our natural, healthy weight level. Instead of focusing on weight loss, people should focus on improving their long-term health.

Be content with the average

“If you’re interested in weight loss, I can’t guarantee that diet or physical activity will cause substantial, intentional weight loss,” Brauer said. “But you can certainly do things to improve your long-term health.”

For example, daily exercise will improve your cardiovascular health, the number one health factor linked to obesity, she continued. Likewise, cutting out excess sugars, fats, and processed foods from your diet will make you healthier while also helping you lose weight.

“You’ll lose some weight, but overall it won’t be much,” Brauer continued. “It won’t be 40 pounds — it could be 10 pounds — but you can keep that up for a lifetime.”

“There is no perfect diet. For people like me who have a tendency to gain weight, we need to focus more on physical activity and make sure we have healthy eating habits, but not necessarily focus on weight loss,” she said.

“We have to learn to be content with being average.”

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